For many students in one of the 19 master’s programs at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS), earning a degree is about more than advancing their careers—it’s an opportunity to gain the skills and perspective needed to give back to communities across the country.
From a veteran applying conflict resolution expertise to teach future U.S. military cadets at West Point, to a sustainability professional advancing environmental progress through work in the circular economy, SPS students and alumni are driving meaningful change nationwide.
Others are making an impact closer to home. A Bioethics alumna, inspired by her experiences with health care in rural America, is working to expand access and equity, while a strategic communicator is using storytelling to build trust and support civic initiatives in her native Montgomery, Alabama.
Explore their stories:
- Amerika Blair, a graduate of the M.S. in Strategic Communication program, is translating data into stories to build trust within resident and stakeholder communities to further the work of the Mayor’s Office in Montgomery, Alabama, as a director of innovation. Read more about Blair’s work: Building Thriving Communities Through Strategic Storytelling.
- Columbia HBCU Fellow and Sustainable Management alum Lailah Hall has been deeply involved in the Tallahassee community, and is now putting her sustainability management training to use at the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement as a sustainability consultant. Learn more about her work before and during her time at SPS: Rooted in Community, Rising in Purpose.
- Kaitlin Reese’s work in the circular economy—a system focused on minimizing waste and maximizing resources—has involved partnering with Circular Action Alliance, the first established Producer Responsibility Organization for packaging in the U.S. Learn how she applied skills learned from the M.S. in Sustainability Management program: Closing the Loop: Kaitlin Reese’s Path to Circular Economy Leadership.
- Rebecca L. Smith, an alumna of the M.S. in Nonprofit Management program, is making a difference in the lives of underserved populations through her work as divisional director of philanthropy for the Salvation Army Greater New York Division. Read Smith’s profile, How One Nonprofit Management Alumna Is Making an Impact at the Salvation Army.
- Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program alumnus Treven Treece is currently a teacher in the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He credits the program with helping to shape him “into a more well-rounded and compelling future instructor and leader.” Read about Treece’s journey: Guided by Expertise: The Mentorship that Elevated My Columbia NECR Experience.
- Megan Wanzo, an M.S. in Bioethics program alumna, was drawn to the field through her experience of health care in rural America. Now at Bristol Myers Squibb she’s applying bioethical frameworks to explore access to clinical trials to rural areas like the one she grew up in. Read her story: Navigating Bioethical Gray Areas with Integrity for Health Equity.
